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Reversibly heat-gelable aqueous compositionRelated Patent Categories: Drug, Bio-affecting And Body Treating Compositions, Designated Organic Active Ingredient Containing (doai)Reversibly heat-gelable aqueous composition description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060211599, Reversibly heat-gelable aqueous composition. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a reversibly heat-gelable aqueous composition having high thixotropy. BACKGROUND ART [0002] Japanese Patent No. 2,729,859 discloses a reversibly heat-gelable aqueous pharmaceutical composition prepared using methylcellulose, which can undergo gelation at a body temperature. This pharmaceutical composition is in a liquid state prior to administration thereof to a subject and therefore, it would be quite favorable for administration. On the other hand, it can be gelatinized at a body temperature and therefore, a viscosity thereof increases after administration thereof. Accordingly, the composition has such advantages that it can improve retention property of a drug at a drug-administered site of a subject and likewise improve bioavailability of the drug. An eye drop has been developed while making the most use of these characteristic properties and has already been put into practical use. [0003] Moreover, Japanese Un-Examined Patent Publication (hereafter referred to as "JP-A") 2003-095924 discloses that this reversibly heat-gelable aqueous pharmaceutical composition is used as an artificial lacrimal fluid. This reversibly heat-gelable aqueous pharmaceutical composition permits an increase of the quantity of lacrimal fluid and the protection of a lacrimal oil layer as compared with conventional artificial lacrimal fluid and therefore, this composition has been recognized to be quite effective as an artificial lacrimal fluid. [0004] In this connection, it is assumed that the reversibly heat-gelable aqueous pharmaceutical compositions disclosed in these patent documents are in general stored at a low temperature (for instance, 1 to 10.degree. C.). This is because if the reversibly heat-gelable aqueous pharmaceutical composition is stored at room temperature, in particular, in summer season, the composition gradually gelatinizes due to the action of environmental heat at room temperature to lose such characteristic properties that it is in a liquid state prior to administration and is quite favorable for administration. [0005] In case of artificial lacrimal fluid, it is common that users in general carry them about and instill them several times a day. As discussed above, however, the reversibly heat-gelable aqueous pharmaceutical composition should be stored at a low temperature and accordingly, it is inappropriate to carry about the same. As described above, it is quite effective to use the reversibly heat-gelable aqueous pharmaceutical composition as an artificial lacrimal fluid from the viewpoint of its efficacy, but it is substantially disadvantageous from the viewpoint of storage thereof. For this reason, it has not yet been put into practical use. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION [0006] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a reversibly heat-gelable aqueous pharmaceutical composition which may be carried about at room temperature, which can solve such a problem associated with conventional reversibly heat-gelable aqueous pharmaceutical composition that it is solidified through the gelatinization at room temperature and it cannot easily be administered. [0007] The present invention has been completed based on such a finding that the foregoing object of the present invention can be achieved by the incorporation of a substance capable of increasing thixotropic property (hereafter referred to as "thixotropic property-increasing substance") into a reversibly heat-gelable aqueous composition and the present invention thus provides a reversibly heat-gelable aqueous composition detailed below: 1. A reversibly heat-gelable aqueous composition comprising methylcellulose and a thixotropic property-increasing substance. [0008] 2. The reversibly heat-gelable aqueous composition as set forth in the foregoing item 1, wherein the thixotropic property-increasing substance is at least one member selected from the group consisting of sugar alcohol, lactose, carmellose or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof and cyclodextrin. 3. The reversibly heat-gelable aqueous composition as set forth in the foregoing item 2, wherein the sugar alcohol is mannitol, xylitol or sorbitol. 4. The reversibly heat-gelable aqueous composition as set forth in the foregoing item 2, wherein the cyclodextrin is .alpha.-cyclodextrin, .beta.-cyclodextrin or .gamma.-cyclodextrin. [0009] 5. The reversibly heat-gelable aqueous composition as set forth in any one of the foregoing items 1 to 4, wherein the composition comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of polyethylene glycol, amino acids or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, and oxyacids or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. 6. The reversibly heat-gelable aqueous composition as set forth in the foregoing item 5, wherein the oxyacid is citric acid or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. 7. The reversibly heat-gelable aqueous composition as set forth in any one of the foregoing items 1 to 6, wherein the composition comprises a drug. [0010] 8. The reversibly heat-gelable aqueous composition as set forth in the foregoing item 7, wherein the drug is at least one member selected from the group consisting of fungicidal agents, antibiotic agents, anti-allergic agents, anti-inflammatory agents, glaucoma-treating agents, vitamin preparations, immuno-suppressors, agents for preventing or treating diabetes, amino acids, cornea-protecting agents, agents for treating disorders of anterior epithelium of cornea, synthetic anti-bacterial agents, anti-malignant tumors, and anti-viral agents. [0011] 9. The reversibly heat-gelable aqueous composition as set forth in the foregoing item 7, wherein the drug is at least one member selected from the group consisting of amphotericin B, fluconazole, miconazole nitrate, sodium colistin methane-sulfonate, carbenicillin sodium, gentamicin sulfate, erythromycin, azithromycin, tobramycin, kanamycin, acitazanolast, levocabastine hydrochloride, ketotifen fumarate, sodium salt of cromoglicic acid, tranilast, betamethasone phosphate, dexamethasone, hydrocortisone, sodium diclofenac, pranoprofen, indomethacin, sodium bromfenac, meloxicam, lornoxicam, timolol maleate, bunazosin hydrochloride, latanoprost, nipradilol, carteolol hydrochloride, isopropyl unoproston, dorzolamide hydrochloride, flavin adenine dinucleotide, pyridoxal phosphate, cyanocobalamin, cyclosporin, tacrolimus, mycophenolic acid, amino-guanidine, epalrestat, aminoethyl sulfonic acid, sodium chondroitin sulfate, sodium hyaluronate, ciprofloxacin hydrochloride, lomefloxacin hydrochloride, ofloxacin, levofloxacin, pazufloxacin tosylate, gatifloxacin, moxifloxacin hydrochloride, mitomycin C, 5-fluorouracil, adriamycin, acyclovir, gancyclovir, cidofovir, sorivudine, and trifluorothymidine. 10. The reversibly heat-gelable aqueous composition as set forth in any one of the foregoing items 7 to 9, wherein the composition is in the form of an injection, an oral formulation, an ear drop, a nasal drop, an eye drop or a liniment. 11. The reversibly heat-gelable aqueous composition as set forth in the foregoing item 10, wherein the composition is in the form of an eye drop. 12. The reversibly heat-gelable aqueous composition as set forth in any one of the foregoing items 1 to 11, wherein the composition is an artificial lacrimal fluid. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION [0012] Thixotropy used herein means a kind of abnormal viscous behavior of a substance. More specifically, this means a behavior of a substance such that the substance in its gel state is transformed into its sol state having flowability by simply agitating or shaking the same, while the substance in its sol state can again return to its gel state when allowing the same to stand. The reversibly heat-gelable aqueous composition of the present invention is gelatinized by the application of heat, but it has thixotropic properties and therefore, the flowability of the gelatinized composition increases when lightly shaking the same and accordingly, it can easily be administered to a living body. The reversibly heat-gelable aqueous composition of the present invention administered to a living body is again easily gelatinized due to the action of a body temperature. Continue reading about Reversibly heat-gelable aqueous composition... Full patent description for Reversibly heat-gelable aqueous composition Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Reversibly heat-gelable aqueous composition patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. 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